Joho the Blog
An Entry from the Archives

Wendy of the EFF talks about technology threatened by copyright-protection laws. (Here's the list.)

MythTV is open source TiVo. The HD cards sold after the Broadcast Flag law goes into effect will only output low res images, so build your mythTV's now. (Wendy is one of the lawyers contesting the Broadcast Flag. Go Wendy!) [I've been trying to build a mythTV for months now. Hint: Be sure to get exactly the specified parts.]

Her unintroduced co-presenter talks about the game City of Heroes. Marvel Comics is suing because some users make characters who look like Marvel's copyrighted heroes. Marvel wants the game destroyed.

The RIAA is trying to ban our ability to save digital radio broadcasts.

Kaleidescape makes a video jukebox. They got sued by a music studio organization because the library-ing of DVDs was outside the scope of the CSS decryption license.

This is a conflict that has existed for a long time, the presenters say, including with sheet music providers fighting player piano rolls. But we've always made way for the new technologies. Now, they say, we are killing the technology. "Entire avenues of innovation will be cut off."

Some technologies already extinct:

DVD-X
Replay TV 4000
Streambox VCR
Adobe Advanced Ebook Reader
Napster 1.0

Endangered:

Morpheus (MGM vs. Grokster)
pcHDTV HD 3000
iPOD (via the Induce Act)
City of Heroes
Total Recorder - Record anything your cable can play
Analog-Digital converters - Would only play watermarked content, thus shutting the "analog hole"

Some of the technologies that survived:

VCRs
Skylink garage door remotes
Refurbished Lexmark toner cartridges

Q: If you're a content creator, should you forego ITunes because it uses DRM?

A: People should have the choice to use DRM, but the devices shouldn't be locked down to support one particular option.

Q: You defend these by looking for substantial non-infringing uses. How about asking the law makers to justify their regulations on Constitutional grounds?

A: Technologists have been under-represented in the legislative debates. So, we try to tell Congress that it affects them as well.

Q: Why doesn't the consumer electronic industry oppose this?

A: The industry is schizophrenic. They need content to sell their devices, but they need consumers to buy them. They are open to being convinced.

Q: If you're successful, people won't make enough money.

A: In the history of copyright, it's always gone the other way.

Q: Relative urgency of Induce vs. Watermark mandates?